My Answer(s): Thank you for your question. I pray that our God and Father in heaven will continue to bless you in understanding His holy and righteous word. To answer your question in the short, the answer is a BIG NO! Your pastor need to learn to rightly divide the word of God, rather than giving his opinion and some so-called schools of theology opinion. Your minister may even have a bias against you or something because his private interpretation of 1 Timothy 3:2 is a total twisted understanding.

Plus, most ministers or pastors or whatever you want to call them preach from their belly for financial gain (2 Corinthians 2:17). I mean you come to him believing God has called you to preach the gospel of His Son, Christ Jesus. And he tells you that you must be the husband of one wife. And twists this Scripture for his own gain. Maybe he is afraid to lose you as a music minister or lose your tithes if he has convinced you to give him your money. See my web site on Tithes and Offerings by clicking on the page for tithes this site.

First, I say ask your pastor how many women have he been with in his lifetime? If your pastor is married then ask him how many men have his wife been with in her lifetime? These questions are important because if this passage bars you from the ministry then it bars him also. For with God a piece of paper does not make you a woman’s husband, but the sexual contact does. See also, the story of Jacob and others prior to wedding ceremonies, a person was married by going into to a woman. Also, go back and read the story of Jesus and the woman at the well.

Remember what Jesus said to the woman when she said she had no husband, "You have well said, I have no husband, for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly." (John 4:17-18 NKJV). For the woman had many husbands who in her eyes were not her husbands but Jesus said, she had five husbands before this one she was with. Plus, you should point out in the so-called churches called by the name Christianity there many ministers who have married more than once. Does this disqualify them also?

Your pastor has miss interpreted this verse, now to read this verse in context, giving you the full qualifications:

• 1 Timothy 3:1-10(NIV)… 1 Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer [Traditionally bishop], he desires a noble task. 2 Now the overseer [bishop] must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4 He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. 5 (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God's church?) 6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. 7 He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil's trap. 8 Deacons, likewise, are to be men worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain. 9 They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience. 10 They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons.

Strong’s definition number 3391 for the word translated "one" means "only one". This verse means you are not to have more than one wife at the same time. This verse does not refer to any prior relationships prior to your calling by God to His Son, Christ Jesus. Now, the question is did your pastor rightly divide the word of God? No, he did not. The question now is what if your pastor was correct with his twisted logic? Then the next question is what about those who had a wife in the past who have died, and they remarry? Are they barred from the ministry because they had a previous wife? I mean there is no exception cause here for men whose wife died. It only says, "the husband of but one wife".

You see Derrell how faulty your pastor’s twisted interpretation is here? And the fact that your pastor said it he has you believing it. Thank our God in heaven you have learned to question all things. For the Scriptures exhorts us as Christians to test all things that come into our mind to see if it comes from God.

• 1 Thessalonians 5:21(NIV)… "Test everything. Hold on to the good."
• 1 John 4:1(NIV)… 1 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
• 2 Timothy 2:15(NKJV)… 15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

A true minister of Christ will exhort you to believe your Bible rather than him. Therefore, I exhort to don’t just take my word for anything, believe your own Bible, and pray for understanding. God is faithful, and He will help you in understanding and rightly dividing His word when you humble yourself, remain teachable. Remember to remain diligent in your study and pray life, so you will not fall into temptation (Matthew 26:41).

This passage I exhort you to follow in your ministry:

• 2 Corinthians 4:2(NIV)… Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.

Finally, I pray for you and your wife in following your calling, and if you are sincere God will help you in following His good and perfect will for you. I advise you that if your pastor do not think you are qualified for the ministry then you need another pastor. Furthermore, I exhort you that you must obey God rather than men in all things. Amen. Praise God.

In Christ love,

Ron Davis, ministering for Christ Jesus